The Merlin thread
- Thread starter Fran101
- Start date
He has moments where he seems older than his age. He waits patiently, he picks up training quickly, he walks nicely..
but most of the time lol he is such a bouncing bunny butt. It seems like his legs have springs! He loves to take running leaps off things!! Stairs, couches, whatever... he gives me a heart attack every time!
On one hand I am so excited to see him grow.. on the other, I just want him to be my little puppy forever!
but most of the time lol he is such a bouncing bunny butt. It seems like his legs have springs! He loves to take running leaps off things!! Stairs, couches, whatever... he gives me a heart attack every time!
On one hand I am so excited to see him grow.. on the other, I just want him to be my little puppy forever!
Lol working on pictures!! We have been so busy with training.. he started puppy class!
But.. any ideas on working on independence? Merlin is FINE in his crate and most anywhere as long as I am in sight and with him.. but the minute I leave or even go into another room he throws a HISSY FIT of epic proportions.. ideas? I love that he is so attached to me, and it's an asset as a SD in training.. but he does need to learn how to be ok on his own.
He is especially bad in the kind of situation where he can hear me. Like, he isn't that bad when I leave for work at all (I've filmed him) he cries for 10 minutes and then sleeps and settles down.
As in recently, I put him in my bathroom with a bullystick and his blanket because I had a friend staying over that is allergic to dogs (his crate doesn't fit in my bathroom)..
OH.
MY.
GOD.
He barked and whined and screamed for HOURS.. it was hard to talk at all with him in there.. that LOUD.
His crate is usually right by my bed so I just think he is not used to not being able to see me but being able to hear me..and I'd like to work on this because a time will come that he will have to sleep in a separate room from me.
To put it plainly I live in a studio and I am not comfortable with having guests of the male kind with my dogs right there sooooo he is going to have to get used to sleeping in the bathroom at some point.
He is also bad if I put him behind the counter at work and go to another part of the store or go say hi to another dog.. things like that. But nothing as bad as the bathroom fiasco.
Ideas?
I know the easiest thing would be to just stick him in the bathroom a few nights and just ignore him but I so wish there were some exercises or something else to help with his independence a bit and get him OK with being alone while I'm around/within earshot.
But.. any ideas on working on independence? Merlin is FINE in his crate and most anywhere as long as I am in sight and with him.. but the minute I leave or even go into another room he throws a HISSY FIT of epic proportions.. ideas? I love that he is so attached to me, and it's an asset as a SD in training.. but he does need to learn how to be ok on his own.
He is especially bad in the kind of situation where he can hear me. Like, he isn't that bad when I leave for work at all (I've filmed him) he cries for 10 minutes and then sleeps and settles down.
As in recently, I put him in my bathroom with a bullystick and his blanket because I had a friend staying over that is allergic to dogs (his crate doesn't fit in my bathroom)..
OH.
MY.
GOD.
He barked and whined and screamed for HOURS.. it was hard to talk at all with him in there.. that LOUD.
His crate is usually right by my bed so I just think he is not used to not being able to see me but being able to hear me..and I'd like to work on this because a time will come that he will have to sleep in a separate room from me.
To put it plainly I live in a studio and I am not comfortable with having guests of the male kind with my dogs right there sooooo he is going to have to get used to sleeping in the bathroom at some point.
He is also bad if I put him behind the counter at work and go to another part of the store or go say hi to another dog.. things like that. But nothing as bad as the bathroom fiasco.
Ideas?
I know the easiest thing would be to just stick him in the bathroom a few nights and just ignore him but I so wish there were some exercises or something else to help with his independence a bit and get him OK with being alone while I'm around/within earshot.
This. When I was initially working on Zinga being ok in one of the runs at work I used a manners minder along with a baby monitor (I couldn't hear if she was whiney from the receptionist's desk). Periodically reward for quiet.
The other problem that I've found is that bathrooms are kind of difficult for dogs to be in without a person. They can't see through the door and it's a tiny space. Can you try an expen or a baby gate to block him in the bathroom so that it's not so confined? Eventually work up to shutting the door for a little bit at a time once he's ok with the bathroom/gate setup.
The other problem that I've found is that bathrooms are kind of difficult for dogs to be in without a person. They can't see through the door and it's a tiny space. Can you try an expen or a baby gate to block him in the bathroom so that it's not so confined? Eventually work up to shutting the door for a little bit at a time once he's ok with the bathroom/gate setup.
Picture time!
Sleeping on the job. He is so good at work, LOVES all the dogs and people.. but he gets so tired
SOMEBODY stole some treats off the counter. Couldn't possibly be this little angel..
Relaxing
He is so handsome.
TUG! lol his favorite game..
He is looking more and more like his mom
Is that a treat you're holding? he is such a fatty.. he LOVES treats!
His little chocolate nose!
His ears are looking show perfect obviously lol
and it's official. It's a crappy one and already pretty scratched out but he had to have something lol
Sleeping on the job. He is so good at work, LOVES all the dogs and people.. but he gets so tired
SOMEBODY stole some treats off the counter. Couldn't possibly be this little angel..
Relaxing
He is so handsome.
TUG! lol his favorite game..
He is looking more and more like his mom
Is that a treat you're holding? he is such a fatty.. he LOVES treats!
His little chocolate nose!
His ears are looking show perfect obviously lol
and it's official. It's a crappy one and already pretty scratched out but he had to have something lol